Former Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki had his preliminary objection dismissed by a Kwara High Court in Ilorin on Friday.
Justice M. O. Folorunsho ruled that the court had jurisdiction to hear the criminal case and ordered his arraignment.
After taking into account the points given by both the defense and prosecution at earlier procedures, the judge dismissed the defendant’s preliminary objection entirely.
Saraki’s attorney, Mr. Jimoh Adebimpe (SAN), represented by Mr. T. A. Hammed, had sought the court to deny jurisdiction and dismiss the charges.
The defense claimed that the court lacked the legal power to hear the case and asked that the criminal proceedings be stopped at that point.
However, the prosecution, led by Chief Rafiu Balogun (SAN) and Chief Taye Oniyinde (SAN), insisted that the court had the authority to hear the case.
The prosecution asked the court to dismiss the preliminary objection, claiming that the charge contained offenses recognized under the applicable criminal laws.
In his ruling, Justice Folorunsho addressed all 17 issues raised by the defendant against him and determined that the application lacked merit.
“The preliminary objection lacks merit,” the judge ruled, dismissing all the grounds advanced by the defense against the criminal proceedings.
As a result, Justice Folorunsho ordered that the case be tried on its merits and that Saraki appear in court for arraignment.
The criminal charge concerns the alleged publication of offensive and disparaging words that are capable of creating a breach of public peace.
According to the prosecution, Saraki reportedly published derogatory statements about Kwara Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on his verified social media accounts.
The prosecution further claimed that the statements were later published by some major media, giving the allegations greater public exposure.
Prosecutors claimed Saraki claimed the governor lacked a secondary school certificate, which is a constitutional requirement for winning governorship elections.
The prosecution claims that the alleged publication was defamatory and could harm the governor’s reputation while inciting public outrage.
Following the verdict, the court adjourned the case until July 22, 2026, when Saraki is due to enter a plea following formal arraignment.
